The Law of Professional Sports

Course Catalog Number:
5093
Course Credits:
2
Course Type:
Lecture
Course Priority:
Limited Enrollment - 3rd Year Priority
Full Year Course:
No

Course Description

Focusing on the 4 major professional sports leagues, this course will examine how the common law, state and federal statutes, and even certain constitutional doctrines have been applied to professional sports franchises, its players and agents, and its fans. The topics for discussion will include: the role and power of the Commissioner; the importance of collective bargaining agreements, including Uniform Player Contracts, in the development of a body of law governing the relationship between a player and his Club; the current state of antitrust law in pro sports; the agent-player relationship; contract negotiations, including the salary arbitration process; the variety of intellectual property issues applicable to leagues, it teams and its players; the rights (or lack thereof) of pro sports fans, including the application of tort law principles to fan injuries; the attempts by pro-sports leagues and teams to control the off-field behavior of its players, and the approaches by the various leagues to regulate performance enhancing drugs.